The Underground Gamers is a fun and competitive war games club based in Dublin, Ireland. The club was founded in early 2006 by a group of dedicated Warhammer Fantasy Battle players and tournament goers looking for a venue in Dublin that would provide them with a place to play a more friendly style of Warhammer. It was first hosted in the basement of Kennedy’s Pub on Westland Row. The club has grown steadily since then and now boasts a hundred members on its mailing list!
Finding a balance between competitive play and friendly games is a challenge that we actively address in the club. We pride ourselves on performing well in tournaments, but doing so in a way that is fun for our opponents. In the build up to a tournament our gaming sessions tend to have a strong focus on refining armies and play styles to compete effectively in the tournament. However, the most important aspect of this practice is to play each game in a friendly manner. A game that is played fairly should be enjoyable whether you win or lose. Fairness both refers to the interpretation of the rules and the composition of the army. Winning a game by exploiting imbalances in the ruleset or army composition is a shallow victory. We try to ensure that our armies are competitive, but not over-the-top and we promote a consistent interpretation of the rules for each game we play. Remember, no game is ever 100% fair – all game rules have biases (even if it is only who goes first!). If you rely on those biases, or worse deliberately misinterpreting the rules in your favor, to beat an opponent then you’re not playing the game.
Non-competitive scenario play has an important place in the games the Underground Gamers play over the year. We promote campaigns and leagues that explore the other side of gaming. Lining up your army in a Pitched Battle against an opponent has its place, but it can become pretty boring! Through campaigns and scenarios you can experience a style of game that is deliberately set up to be unbalanced. You learn a lot about your army when facing an opponent that severely outnumbers you. This not only improves your ability to use your army effectively, but can also lead to some great stories. All of this experience feeds not only into the specific campaign or scenario, but into your competitive play, making you a better player.
If this sounds like the kind of wargaming you want to experience then come see us. We are currently based in Gamers World, formerly called Models Inc., (on Jervis Street) in Dublin’s city centre. We play a large variety of war games, board games and roleplay games including Warhammer, Warmachine, Hordes, Bloodbowl, War of the Ring, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Epic Armageddon, Battle Fleet Gothic, Warhammer 40k, Flames of War, Memoir ’44 etc. In fact there are very few games we don’t play … The club is based on the premise of friendly games in a friendly environment. We endeavour to create an enjoyable and social environment to have your games in. We run competitive events for Warhammer Fantasy and Bloodbowl throughout the year. We also encourage and run non-competitive campaigns for all our systems.
Gamers World offers excellent facilities for war games, board games and roleplaying. There are several 6′ x 4′ boards, large amounts of terrain and a dedicated area for roleplayers. Snacks and drinks are available in the shop and there are many take-aways, food serving pubs and restaurants nearby.
We meet every Tuesday evening (6pm – 11pm) and membership is free. If you are interested in joining then simply join our Google Group, introduce yourself and drop down to see us.